The Frigid vs The Fiery
by nfmadprops04
Summary: After Rogue betrays Bobby, Iceman begins his descent into the dark side along Pyro in the Brotherhood. RogueIceman and PyroOC with IcemanOC and RoguePyro activities. SET AFTER X2
1. Prologue & Storm

THE FRIGID VS. THE FIERY

**PG-13/RAfter Rogue betrays Bobby, Iceman begins his descent into the dark side, along Pyro in the Brotherhood. NO SLASH!**

**Pairings: Rogue/Iceman, Pyro/OC with Iceman/OC and Pyro/Rogue scenes.**

**Disclaimer: All of the X-Men and the world in which they exist are owned by Marvel Comics, with which I am in no way affiliated. Only the character of Shane "Apex" Troy belongs to and was created by me. **

PROLOGUE

If Jean was still alive, her problems would be different, Rogue thought, sitting outside of Professor Xavier's office. After her tearful outburst in Theology class, she knew why Kurt had sent her to see him. After Bobby left, Rogue had cracked, because everyone knew it was her fault. The door opened as Jubilee left, smiling while talking animatedly to the Professor about Benjamin Franklin. It was no wonder - Jubilee's power made her so intrigued by the world of electricity.

As Jubilee saw Rogue, however, her face fell into a somber look of near pity as she attempted to regain a polite smile.

"Hey Marie... um, you wanna go over our English homework tonight?" Rogue muttered an almost inaudible 'sure-I-guess' and the Professor nodded that it was now time for Jubilee to exit. She walked off, and Rogue found herself wanting to gag at that horrible yellow jacket. Stupid little bi-

"Now, Miss D'Ancanto, surely you can find better thoughts about your friend than that." The Professor drawled with his British voice, waving her into the room, wheeling off as she followed him. "Now, what can you tell me about the incident in Professor Wagner's room?"

"I don't really wanna talk about it," she replied in her slight Southern accent, the two extreme dialects clashing immensely.

"Would you like for me to look?"

"Professor, I'll thank you kindly not to go into my head. It's kind of full of private stuff right now."

"Would you feel better discussing this with, say, Ororo?"

"I'd feel better discussing this all with Jean."

"Rogue, as mutants, we do have many powers, some of which have not yet been realized by the ones who control them, but as far as Cerebro can tell me, I have not yet found anyone to bring Jean back."

"I know," she whispered, her chin wavering.

"This has something to do with Robert's recent disappearance?"

"Professor, please don't read my thoughts," she said, and he reached out to wipe away one quiet tear as it rolled down her cheek. He didn't stay long enough to be affected by her noxious skin.

"I didn't. Go see Storm," he commanded.

CHAPTER ONE

Storm stood in the medical ward, looking at Rogue. She could remember such a happy girl back before Bobby left - even after Jean's death, her and Bobby had grown even closer. But after Bobby had up-and-left unannounced last month, she had turned back into that quiet hermit that she and Scott had found in the snow."Well, you're not pregnant." 


	2. The Past is Remembered

CHAPTER TWO - THE PAST IS REMEMBERED

**The following chapters will be in the _past_. Before everything that happened in the prologue. Normally, I wouldn't even have stated that, but if you _don't_ understand that, then the following makes no sense.**

It was two and a half months ago that Storm had been awakened in the night by the murmurs and a terrified air surrounding her. She sat up two minutes before Kurt suddenly bamfed into her room, stating that Bobby Drake had been found in the girls' dorm hall, unconscious and covered in his own purplish-blue veins. Despite the cheeky reasons behind his presence there, this was quite an emergency and she suited up as quickly as possible, desperate to stop Bobby from sliding into a coma.

It was two hours later before Bobby was stabilized - and nearly four days before he awoke. Scott stood by his side as his hauntingly blue eyes opened, visibly upset at Rogue's absence.

"Where's Rogue?"

"Bobby, I think you and I need to have ourselves a talk."

"Hey, Mr. Summers," he shrugged, sitting up in the bed.

"There comes a certain time, in - any boy's life when-"

"Spare me the lecture, Cyclops. I am senior at a school for mutants. I think I understand the concept."

"But some mutants are dangerous- deadly. And the most dangerous one here is the one in whom's pants you're trying to get."

"It's more than that."

"Do you think you'll build up an immunity or something? Just keep touching her and eventually you won't feel it?"

"We thought-"

"This is the sixth time this semester you've been in the ward for... reactions." Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but sighed, defeated.

"I know."

"And you're going to have to decide whether or not you're willing to risk your life for a few more minutes of Rogue."

"I know."

"Good," Scott replied, pulling up a chair and plopping himself down in it - backwards, and pensively faced Bobby. "Look, I kind of understand what you're going through."

"Doubt it."

"At least Rogue knows how you really look."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't rank explosive eyeballs along with toxic skin, but just knowing that Jean never got to look into my eyes wasn't too fun, Bobby. And I don't blame you for trying. But if you keep it up and end up dead, Rogue will never be able to forgive herself." Bobby nodded solemnly, allowing Scott to continue, "Before you arrived here - I hurt Jean. We were, well, 'together' and my glasses got knocked off and I burnt her and our room pretty bad before I managed to shut my eyes. I felt terrible the whole time she was in the hospital and - I don't want you and Rogue to risk hurting each other like that."

"We won't. But for the record, being 'together' with Rogue - you have no idea how much we want that. It sucks," he sighed. "I can't even touch her. It's almost worth death just to be close to her."

"I feel ya there." Cyclops said, chuckling as the door behind him opened. Rogue smiled weakly.

"Hey, baby," Bobby stammered, looking at her, his eyes full of contentment.

"Well, that's my cue," Scott said, and left, leaving his chair for her.---

---John hadn't thought that Magneto would have this many followers tucked away. He'd always assumed that it was pretty much just Mystique. He hadn't expected the Sabertooth guy or Toad - still twitching, he found out, from a past encounter with Storm. There was the kid with white hair, who managed to move insanely fast, but it often annoyed Pyro because the kid was a little bit of a brat - called himself "Quicksilver". Then, of course, there was the girl. Her hair was long and black, almost to her waist, and it was shiny, which offset her perfect Philipino skin. Her entire face was breath-taking. Despite her lineage, Shane Troy had been born with blue eyes that became black and spread out across her eyes whenever she enacted her power. Her name - was Apex. Pyro was sure that more members existed in this brotherhood. Not just himself, Magneto, Mystique, Sabertooth, Toad, Quicksilver and Apex. There had to be more the way he talked about the Brotherhood and his revolution. St. John Allerdyce, in his heart of hearts, believed there was an underlying cult method in Magneto's ways. And he loved every second of it.

John's parents had never given him anything. So when he hit puberty and found his powers, John had laid that motherfucking house-from-hell to waste and ran. Ultimately, he'd been caught breaking into Xavier's mansion and, when he tried to set the bastard who caught him aflame, it had been blasted away by Dr. Grey. He'd been stuck into the room with a guy who could create and control ice.

_But now I live by myself_, he thought, marveling at the concept of his own room. And what a room. The bed itself had to be the size of the room he'd shared with Bobby, the sheets bright red and embroidered with flames. Magneto had let John sleep on the couch bed in the main living room while decorators came in for at least a week. John, like Apex and Quicksilver, were showered with gifts from Magneto. New clothes, and rooms that directly complimented them. Everything in Pyro's room was red and orange and yellow. An eternal flame was even set up in the corner. It could not be put out by water or anything at all, giving him plenty of ammo. The television center before him was black and streamlined. Every single peice of furniture and fabric in there was flame retardant, naturally. But Pyro's favorite part was the inscription that had been singed into his bedframe before his arrival - _"His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth."_

"Where is that from?" John asked Magneto as they entered his room for the first time.

"The Bible," he'd replied.

"Excuse me?"

"It's quite an extravagant source of literature to propogate our ways, Pyro."

"Whatever. The phrase is bad ass, though," he said, tossing what little he'd picked up onto the red satin bedsheets. A painting of a sinking ship in flames covered nearly an entire wall, and John smirked as he surveyed the room. A framed copy of the Boston Herald was on the wall, in which his attack on the Drake's neighborhood was featured - including pictures of the scorched police cars in smoldering rubble. His heart was burning with pride.

He spun around, sucking a bit of the flame into his hand in case he needed to defend himself, but he spun around only to see a girl.

"Hi. Are you Pyro?" She asked, smiling as she propped herself against his doorframe.

"Who's asking?" He spat back at her, beginning to unpack his few sets of clothes.

"My name is Apex. I've seen you around."

"Are you that fast kid?"

"No, my power's a lot cooler than that."

"Show me."---

---It was a few days later, after spending several frenzied hours rolling around in his brand new bed with Apex that Pyro actually figured out one of Cerebro's many uses. Professor X could use it to send messages to mutants. And it wasn't long before Pyro knew that Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters was actually having a dance. It made sense, he realized, what with it actually being a school of mainly teenagers who couldn't relate to real people anyways. Real people, he laughed. More like lesser people. He couldn't realize why the mutants didn't just rise up and overpower the human race. They could. They should. And under Magneto's revolution - they would.

He made his way down to the kitchen. It seemed as if nearly everything in his spacious mansion was made out of metal, but this was also reasonable. Pyro often had dreams about living in a house made entirely out of flames. How great would it be to control nearly everything around you? This was, of course, brought to John's attention as the heavy metal chair slid out for him and he sat down, picking up the silverwear while he poked at an egg on his plate.

"I got the message. Do you plan on going to Charles' dance at the school next week?" Magneto commented as the random chef handed him a metal plate of vegetables.

"Why would I?"

"Well, you haven't dropped out officially yet. It could be a good excuse for you to... snoop around."

"I don't think so. The last thing I want to have to do is associate with all those goody-two-shoes. They'd see right through it, especially X. Unless you're planning on making me wear your stupid helmet." Pyro replied, and Apex laughed.

"No. I plan on sending Mystique with you. I'm pretty sure she can cause enough of a distraction for you to get in a word or two with.... does anyone at that school still trust you?"

"Bobby's a bit of a naive douche. I could probably slide by him and Rogue."

"Then do so."

"I am _not_ going."

"Yes you are."

"Mag-" he began, but was silenced as the fork was yanked from his hand by an unseen force and turned to face him.

"This is not a topic for discussion. Go to the dance and,well - Dance. Drink punch, do the twist or whatever insipid dance craze has swept your generation and make merry. Do you understand?"

"Sure," he spat. "Whatever." And got up in a huff from the room, causing the flames that emerged from the gas burners to burst out momentarily, singeing the cabinets above it.---

---Rogue sat at breakfast, spooning another helping of Count Chocula into her mouth as she suddenly felt a pair of gloved hands over her eyes.

"Guess who?" A congenial voice spoke deeply behind her.

"Hey Bobby," she whispered, and he sat next to her, planting a quick kiss on her cheek. The two of them had realized that if they kept their physical exhanges quick, very little harm came from it. It was last week, however, that Bobby had been sent to the ward because of... well...

Rogue and Iceman had been trying to get around her mutation in different inventive ways. She'd heard rumors of being able to make love to someone while keeping all your clothes on, but they could never quick figure out how that worked. They'd been so close so many times to abandoning all reason and just screwing madly, but the last thing she wanted. She didn't want to kill Bobby. He'd taken to wearing gloves so he could touch her face and her back and other interesting areas. The more they wore, the closer they could get.

"So, are you two going to the dance?" Jubilee asked, and Bobby looked at Rogue for an answer. She smiled.

"Yup," he replied, lifting up his glass of milk. He took a sip and after grimacing, stuck his finger in it quickly.

"What?"

"I hate room-temperature milk. You'd think with all of this funding, they'd have a satisfactory refrigerator."

"They do, Bobby," she replied cheekily, pointing a leather finger at him. He slapped it away. "Well, Jubes - looks like we'll be going shopping,"

"Before that, I got you a gift," Iceman whispered, lowly enough so Jubilee couldn't hear. It didn't matter anyway as Jubes' attention was currently focused on Colossus. Bobby slid the tiny package underneath the table. Rogue looked down and blushed as a sly grin crept across Bobby's face.

"This is... wow." She said, staring down at the pair of knee-high stockings.

"I figure we'll just cover up as much of you and me as thinly as possible."

"What?" Jubilee said, and Rogue tucked away the package in her black purse.

"Nothing."


	3. Rogue & Bobby Forever?

CHAPTER THREE: ROGUE & BOBBY… FOREVER?

It had taken everyone in the school an inordinate amount of time to finally go to bed, as Bobby awaited anxiously for the patrollers – more specifically, Logan – to finish their nightly rounds over the boys' quarters before retiring for the night.

He almost felt sorry for the teachers, in a way. They had to sleep less than the students, seeing as they went to sleep after the last one – save for Blink – and woke up before everyone else. There was always someone up to keep order and civility. He sighed in relief when he heard Logan's door shut. Bobby always saw Logan as a father to Rogue – and someone with nine-inch steel blades that eject from his hands is not someone whose daughter you want to be caught with.

Bobby stepped out of his room nervously, looking back and forth for any signs of movement. In a way, he wished he was like Wolverine now, able to sense movement and smell people like an animal. But all he could possibly do was freeze them, and he was sure that if Wolverine or Nightcrawler were to come flying at him, he wouldn't have to mental fortitude to think of it before he was unconscious.

The trek through the mansion was easy. He knew where Rogue's room was. He could have found it blindfolded. The seventh door on the right, second floor, girls' hall – the door with a thundercloud emitting lightening bolts with "JUBILATION" on it, "Jubilee" underneath it in tiny print. Rogue of course had created her name plainly and shyly before Jubilee had spruced it up with a rainbow of colors and tiny little animals. She'd later told Bobby that she didn't know what to put on Rogue's door badge – she felt it would be rude to tape up the picture Colossus had drawn or someone with the life sucked out of them. So she'd settled on puppies. Everyone likes puppies.

He pushed the door open ever so slowly, and felt a warm smile spread across his face as he saw Rogue sitting up in bed, her hands running through her hair. She was gorgeous.

"Oh, hi." She said, her voice wavering a bit.

"Are you-" he began, but was unable to finish his sentence as Rogue was soon upon him, kissing him desperately. Bobby, however, was always concentrating when she kissed him, forming a layer of ice between them as not to let Rogue suck out his "essence." His essence had always been really important to him. He managed to pull away for air and kissed her lightly as soon as he began to feel himself getting dizzy. Her eyes seemed sad as he looked deep into them as he wiped her hair back. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Me neither," he said, kissing her softly. Taking her gloved hand in his, he could feel her extremities shaking. Hugging her tightly, Bobby kissed her through her hair, hoping that all of the things they'd gone over would be alright. The two of them continued to kiss, knowing that nearly no clothes would come off during this encounter. Rogue still had to concentrate very desperately on not killing Bobby, and she drank in every moment of his mercilessly icy kisses as he lay on top of her, his gloved hand sliding underneath her shirt. Suddenly, Rogue gasped. "What?!" Bobby whispered, and she laughed a bit.

"Nothing, it's just… did you lock the door?"

"Aw, crap. I didn't." He said, and got up quickly to lock the door. He turned back around, still smirking and went back to kissing Rogue.

* * *

Rogue stepped out of the shower, after she'd quit bleeding and dried off and, terrified, stepped out of her bathroom to face Bobby, who still lay disappointed in her bed, having disposed of the condom and now currently bored and baffled.

"I-I-Look, Bobby, I'm sorry," she managed to choke up before Bobby looked up at her and shrugged. "It just… it really hurt. Okay? I wasn't expecting that and I-" She drawled before Bobby's eyes silenced her.

"I know, baby," he whispered, and paused, looking at the tear that was rolling down her cheek. He reached up a finger and touched it. He froze it instantly and peeled it off of her flawless face. "I just really want us to work."

"Maybe we can keep trying."

"Maybe." He said, and kissed her quickly before getting off of her bed. "I should probably be getting back anyway."

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Do you still love me?" She asked in her lovable Southern accent, and Bobby sighed, walking back to the bed, and looking her dead in the eye.

"You shouldn't ever ask me that. I don't ever want you to doubt what I feel for you, Rogue. I love you, and I don't care if I can't even touch you. Just being around you is enough, okay? I love you."

* * *

Pyro laughed heartily at the cartoon that was on television as he lay in bed with Apex. Frylock and Master Shake were arguing once again as Apex, in all of her glorious nude form leaned across John's waist, now covered by the red comforter and grabbed a cigarette off of his table.

"John, I need a light," she said, smiling as he grabbed summoned theflame from a nearby candle and held it under the tip of her cigarette. She smirked up at him. "So tell me about this Rogue girl again. I'm still confused."

"Well, she can't touch people. Like, at all. If she goes, she sucks their soul or something and they die."

"Wow, that sucks."

"Yeah. She did it to me once and – let me tell you – your power is a whole lot more cooler," he said, kissing the olive area between her shoulder blades.

"More cooler? Check out the brain on Pyro over here."

"Shut up."

"Are you going to see her at the dance?"

"More than likely."

"Are you gonna fuck her?"

"What?"

"I'm just asking, baby."

"Look, Pexy, as much as I enjoy the words 'dick' and 'suck' in the same sentence, having my _soul_ sucked out of me through my dick isn't something that sounds incredibly fun."

"I don't know…" she shrugged and passed John the cigarette. He took a few drags as she placed aimless kisses on his neck. The silence that consumed the metal house was always quite eerie. "So do you think that Mystique and Mag have something going on?"

"That's gross. That's like thinking about your parents doing it."

"Do you ever think he has Mystique pretend to be, like, Cameron Diaz or something?"

"Probably. I would."

"You're a pervert. I'm gonna take a shower," she said, and got up from the bed, walking slowly past the television and to the bathroom door.

"You want some company?"

"Maybe…" she said, smirking, and soon the television was on in an empty, empty room.


	4. Missing John

CHAPTER FOUR: MISSING JOHN

The mood between Bobby and Rogue the next day at breakfast was awkward, as if they were too embarrassed to look at each other. Marie had quickly made up a lie that she'd gotten her monthly visitor earlier than she'd expected to explain the mess in her sheets. Thank goodness Jubilee had gone home for the weekend. She didn't know exactly what she'd expected, but she'd changed her mind about the whole sex thing the moment Bobby entered her. She'd grown up in Mississippi, quite sheltered, and had never even visited the gynecologist nor allowed anything to come into contact with her lower extremities. When Bobby had begun to penetrate, she'd felt an uncontrollable urge to cry or scream, and had immediately halted their union. And she knew he'd been disappointed. They'd been waiting for months for that night.

Bobby silently wished he'd had someone to talk to. He knew from several conversations with Pyro that he wasn't a virgin, as Bobby was. Maybe Pyro had been someone else's first time. Maybe he could have told him what to expect or explain the situation, but for all he knew, Magneto had killed Pyro long ago. As much as Bobby hated to admit it, he got lonely sometimes in his room all alone, staring at the bed that John used to sleep in. He'd lost what he'd eventually taken to calling his best friend, despite their consistent clashing over everything from when Bobby "had to stop reading and turn the goddamned lights off" to even the basest of their personality traits: their powers. Who would have thought that two boys who controlled alternate elements, fire and water, would become thick as thieves?

He knew that Rogue missed John as well, but would be even less likely to admit it after he'd taken up with the man who'd try to kill her. And now, after Bobby had been so let down after what was supposed to be "the night," he didn't even know where he stood with her. Rogue was a girl, and the act surely hurt her feelings. Along with Jean's death and John's disappearance, Bobby feared it was too much.

"Okay, enough with the awkward silences," Jubilee began, causing both Rogue and Bobby to jump slightly, and chuckle. "I was thinking – the dance is in two weeks so… Rogue… you and I should get away this weekend and go shopping."

"Where?"

"Times Square."

"No way," Rogue began, picking at her waffle. "I heard that there are nothing but muggers and hookers and… weirdoes in Times Square."

"Look around, honey – it doesn't get any weirder than here."

* * *

"I'm never going to be able to create it, what's the point?!" Pyro stated simply, after nearly an hour of being separated from his lighter. Magneto was trying to build up Pyro's powers to the point where he could conjure fire, just as Iceman and Storm could do with their respective abilities. But this was getting nowhere.

"Do you think Charles could have controlled Cerebro his first time out?"

"Did it ever occur to you that _maybe_ some mutants' powers don't get better?" He said, concentrating once again. The palm of his hand burned, as if fire was just two seconds away – but it never appeared. He'd tried it night after night at the mansion with no avail. Now, with the arrival of two new mutants at Magneto's fortress, Pyro felt his position as favorite slowly slipping away. An older man calling himself Avalanche had arrived. He was not a teenager as Apex, Pyro and Quicksilver were, but he looked to be about Cyclops' age. A girl named Scarlet Witch had also arrived, and Pyro later found out that she was Wanda – Magneto's daughter. She could send out hex-spheres or whatever and disrupt things. More importantly, Pyro felt, she just bugged the living shit out of him.

"You're doing fine," came a soft feminine voice nearby. He looked up and smiled at Apex, who plopped herself down on a nearby rock.

"Shane, sweetheart, we're a little bit preoccupied right now, so if you could just-"

"Come on, Mags, what's the worst that could happen? She can watch." He said, and held his hand out. It was the worst feeling of impotence to him, having watched Bobby summon and play around with ice so much. Bastard.

He wish he'd carried matches to hide. To flick behind Magneto's back just to shut him up and make him happy. It was all too damn much. Magneto was like a damn father, always there, always demanding, always needing you to be FUCKING PERFECT AND-

"Pyro, holy shit!" Apex yelled, and Pyro looked at his hand, from which a blazing torrent of flame was escaping. The moment he beheld it, it was gone.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Magneto spoke, "I knew you had it in you. You just have to keep close watch on your emotions. Anger seems to be your trigger. When it changed to shock, the flame died. You're excused," he said, and turned back towards the mansion.

"Well, I gotta say I'm impressed, Allerdyce." She said next to him, and he smirked.

"Me too," he said, walking slowly towards her.

"We should celebrate."

"Mmm-Hmm," he murmured, kissing her. His hands, still hot, circled around the rim of her jeans before – "Shit."

"What?" She asked, instinctively looking around.

"Magneto still has my lighter."

"You're obsessed with that lighter, baby."

"Yeah… It's like…" he sighed, and buried his head in her neck. "I really need it back."

"It's like your dick."

"What?" He said, lifting his head up and meeting her eyes.

"Have you ever read Freud?"

"Um…no."

"Well, you look at your lighter as your source of power. Your phallus. To lose it makes you feel powerless, less of a man-" she was suddenly silence with another fiery kiss from Pyro. She knew, she could read his thoughts now – he was going to prove his manliness. John Allerdyce was acutely predictable.

* * *

Magneto tapped, bored, on the metal table that sat in front of him. The plan would only work if both John and Mystique were guarded from the Professor's telepathy. He could have no idea.

* * *

"I think I have sand in my butt." Apex said as they neared Magneto's.

"Wow… over share."

"Well it's not necessarily _my _fault," she said as she felt John's arms wrap around her waist. The act caught her off guard. She'd had a few fucks here and there, but never anyone like John. She hesitated to call him her boyfriend, but that's what he was slowly becoming. "I've been thinking," she said, and turned to face him.

"Yeah?"

"You should have sex with Rogue."

"Um, hello…"

"Let me finish. Go with me to a club this weekend. We'll get the little barrier between you and her fixed."

"Why?" he asked, now deadly still as the cigarette dangled from his mouth.

"I can read your mind when we hook up, 'Ro. And there have been a few times you've thought of her. It doesn't bother me. But it will if you never do anything about it." She said, and pulled the thin white item from his mouth, kissing him before he had a chance to exhale. "Shotgun."

* * *

It was early Saturday morning that Jubilee, along with Kitty and Siren awoke Rogue to go shopping. After what had transpired a week ago, Rogue had been particularly sullen, although no one but she, Bobby, and possibly the Professor knew why.

But the four girls made their way to the bus station, boarded a bus to NYC, and chatted animatedly while several onlookers stared at Jubilee's wild clothing. Rogue always hated standing out in a crowd. Her odd amount of covering was enough – the long sleeves, long jackets, gloves. Granted it was around February so the resident Yankees didn't lend too much attention, but the amount of clothing she wore during July almost killed her. Having Bobby around had helped – the occasional pulling of her turtleneck collar back and blowing down her spine helped keep her cool, even on the hottest of days. But she and Bobby had barely spoken in a week – it had been too awkward.

"...who was in Boondock Saints with Sean Patrick Flanery who was in Suicide Kings with Jeremy Sisto who was in Thirteen with Holly Hunter!" Siren finished, and Kitty clapped in astonishment as the bus let them off. Rogue breathed in deeply, the iciness of the air lining her throat and bringing back millions of little thoughts and memories.

"Well, girls, let's get started."

* * *

"Kitty, that's not a good color on you."

"Who cares? I don't plan to be wearing it very long."

"You're a big slut." Jubilee echoed Rogue's sentiment, although Rogue's heart was filled more with jealousy than disgust.

"I don't hear Spark complaining."

"That's cause you gag him."

"Shut up!"

Rogue tuned the girls out as she glanced around the store. A couple kissed outside. She felt the envy and sadness welling deep in her heart. A pretty Philipino girl, with black hair down to her waist, who wore a big jacket that seemed a little too large for her, smiled as she pulled away from the kiss of her boyfriend. But the boyfriend looked oddly familiar.

"Oh my God!" Rogue yelped, and soon Jubilee, Kitty, and Siren all looked at her."What?"

"St. John Allerdyce… is standing right outside."


	5. Appy Polly Loggies, Mate

CHAPTER FIVE: APPY-POLLY-LOGGIES, MATE

"Holy crap!" Siren barked, and the four of them just stood transfixed in the dress shop, too frightened or shocked to move.

"What do we do?"

"Shut up or he'll hear us."

"He's not Logan, you guys," Rogue drawled, staring at him. He was laughing. She hated to admit it, but for a brief second he looked happy. She was always angry at him for leaving with Magneto and joining the Brotherhood. And now Rogue sat, depressed while John chuckled jovially with a random girl.

"I have an idea," Kitty said, and quickly changed out of her dress as they watched Pyro, making sure he remained on that corner. The girl he was with went across the street for a second and came back with a hot dog. Upon being offered it, he grimaced and shook his head. Rogue had barely any time to react before Kitty burst through the front door of the dress shop, quickly followed by Jubilee and Siren.

"John!" She yelped, and Rogue felt her heart drop to her knees. They were going to die. Pyro was going to kill them in a ginormous fireball to which there was no defense. But John looked shocked for a moment, and looked at the four of them, attempting to come up with a plan, but his voice got stuck in his throat when he saw Rogue standing in the back, shifting uneasily from foot to foot.

"Oh, I'm Shane," Apex said, extending her hand to the girls. They all introduced themselves, except Rogue, who was already well known. Apex gasped when she took Rogue's gloved hands. These were the leather gloves she'd seen in Pyro's mind. "You must be Rogue."

"That's right."

"What are you doing in the Square?" John managed to choke out, and felt a reassuring if somewhat teasing hand on his back. He could tell that Shane was tensing.

"Well, there's a dance next week and we were dress shopping and-"

"Are you still with Magneto?" Kitty suddenly interrupted, and Rogue's eyes grew wide.

"You say that like I'm his bitch or something," John spat, regaining his confident composure.

"Well, aren't you? I mean, he's gotta have you whipped to take you away from the only people who ever cared for you-"

"The only whipping that's gonna take place, Pryde is between my fire and your ass if you don't shut the hell up."

"Oh please, Siren or Rogue can stop your shit at anytime and you know it," Kitty fired off, ignoring the shocked expressions that came from Rogue and Siren's faces.

"So you know John from the Institute?" Apex stepped in, staring Kitty down as her eyes started to darken. Pyro closed his eyes and attempted to remove her hand.

"Yeah, I do, and you should watch your back."

"Good to know, Kitten. Well, we should be going. We have more important things to do than waste our time in the Square… but you girls have fun, okay?" she snapped, and turned around with Pyro. Rogue let out a sigh of relief.

"What the hell were you trying to do, get us all killed?" Jubilee barked, slapping Kitty on the back of the head.

* * *

It was a few hours before the girls returned back to the mansion, under the scrutinizing eye of Storm, who reprimanded them for leaving, but the girls were given no more punishment as they went on their way. The sun was setting by the time Rogue got to her room, and Jubilee gasped.

"Ho…ly…shit, Rogue." The room was bitingly cold, and the walls and mirrors all seemed to be covered in a thin layer of ice. "Your boyfriend… is a nutbar." She whispered, staring at their room. On Rogue's bed were several icicle roses – just like the one he'd created on her desk her first day at the Institute. "What the hell is this, Rogue?" Jubilee spat out and looked at her, Rogue who was currently on the verge of tears.

"It's an apology."

* * *

Bobby sat, bored in the library, looking through articles in the mansion on Brave New World – a book that Professor X had assigned recently. While homework irritated Bobby like it did every other red-blooded teenager, English and Philosophy was not his least favorite subject.

He heard the large library doors swing open and shut. The librarian, who got her job due to her mutated and quite abnormal sense of hearing, looked up as Rogue tore through the lines and lines of tables to finally make it to Bobby's table.

"Oh my.. oh my…" She struggled to say as Bobby stood up. They embraced tightly, blocked of course by a few layers of clothing.

"What?"

"I'm so sorry, Bobby."

"For what?"

"I dunno, bein' frigid and whatnot. I guess maybe I was just freaked out and-"

"You're the frigid one?" He gawked, and smiled as he planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Suddenly, he heard a loud "SH" and looked over to see the irate librarian. "We should take this outside."

* * *

"I don't understand why we need him!" Mystique shouted across the room at Magneto, who simply continued to recline in his metal chair, laughing aloofly at her.

"Because, darling, the world centers on elements. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. We have Avalanche, we have Pyro – all we need are the final two, then we can cause insane amounts of destruction all over the world and punish the humans-"

"It's impossible. We're never going to be able to get those two!"

"What two? For the missing elements, we need only one more mutant."

* * *

"Are you serious?" Bobby asked, sipping his coffee as he talked to Rogue outside as they watched a few other students play basketball.

"I know, I know. I was just thinking about it and maybe it's like learning our powers or an instrument or something. I mean, yeah, the first time you suck, no doubt."

"But… you get better with practice?" He asked incredulously, smirking as Rogue looked down, blushed and nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, it kind of hurt but I talked to Jubilee and Kitty-"

"You told them?!"

"Please let me finish. I asked them hypothetically, like 'does sex hurt?' and they told me that it does a lot the first time, but it gets better."

"So you're willing to go through that again?" She leaned over and took a sip off his coffee.

"Yeah."

And they kissed.

"When do you want to try?"

"After the dance."

"It's a date, then?"

"It's a date."

* * *

"What are you doing?" John asked groggily as he entered the kitchen. He had crashed out mid-afternoon for a nap and was now waking up around twilight. Apex laughed as she stood before the stove.

"I was attempting to make a cake, but it's not like Magneto has any sweets laying around. So I'm just throwing shit together to see what happens."

"Sounds like fun," he said, plopping down on the kitchen table. "Throwing shit together?"

"Well… before my mutant-ism became a factor, I wanted to be a chef."

"A chef?"

"Well, either that or a mermaid. I mean, I was like seven," she said, suddenly lifting a silver spoon out of the pot and carrying it, hand underneath, to Pyro. She sat down in the chair next to him.

"What?" He asked.

"I need you to taste this and tell me if it's too sour."

"Why?" He didn't get an answer before his mouth was suddenly full of a tangy broth. It wasn't bad, but wasn't quite good. "It could use a bit of ketchup," he said, smiling.

"Ketchup?"

"Ketchup. It's good on everything."

"Whatever. It's gross," she laughed and tossed the spoon at him. He caught it and laughed with her for a second before the comfortable nature of the situation made itself known. He quit laughing, and awkward situated himself in his seat. Apex seemed just as uneasy. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Admit it."

"Admit what?"

"That you've wanted this ever since the moment you met me," Apex sighed from underneath the thin sheets of Pyro's bed.

"I've wanted what?" He pried, smiling coyly as he crawled onto the bed, meeting her lips without the slightest hint of insincerity.

"Me to be your _girrrrrlfriend_." She mocked, and pushed her face forward, causing Pyro to roll onto his back, nude except for a pair of boxers.

"Oh please, Pexy, the first moment I ever saw you -all I wanted was you on the business end of my dick." He paused, and stared off into space for a few seconds. "Do you think Mag's is gonna be pissed off?"

"Why would he?" Apex questioned, placing her head between his mediocre pecs. Pyro ran his hand over her face, and through her hair.

"I don't know. He went on this whole schpeel about how it's wrong to get emotionally involved with a member of your team or whatever."

"Well, I don't know about being emotionally involved. I mean, it's not like we're getting married or in love with each other or anything. It's just… I'd rather be hanging out with you than by myself. And, well, let's be honest – the sex isn't that bad."

"No, no, no," he replied. "The sex doesn't suck. And I guess calling you my girlfriend is easier than saying 'that girl who I hang out with a lot and get to bang on a regular basis', right?"

"Right, oh CRAP!" She said, and jumped up off of the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

"What?"

"Nothing, I had to pee. _But_ don't forget that we're going to the club again this weekend."

"Why?"

"Because, doofus, the Crawling Cloud, as she likes to call herself wasn't there last time and God as my witness, you are going to rid yourself of this infatuation with Marie D'Ancanto."

"Will you please explain how we plan to accomplish that?"

"Mum's the word - you know that," she said slyly, reentering the room. "You just gotta concentrate on your moves, cowboy."

"What, now or this weekend?"

"I'd say a little bit of both," she replied and kissed him.


	6. You Make Me Feel Like Dancing

CHAPTER SIX: YOU MAKE ME FEEL LIKE DANCING

"I look like a tool." Pyro touted, staring at himself in the mirror.

"You look like Bond."

"I look like a tool and a penguin." He'd been talked into wearing a plain tuxedo with a simple black bow-tie.

Magneto handed the fitting room attendant a few dollars, and he quickly exited.

"Well, I think it fits you fine, you just need to act the part. Carefree, gregarious teenager."

"Mag, I was _never_ a carefree, gregarious teenager. I can do angry, tempermental, and quiet."

"Well, just do whatever you did. When should I expect you home?"

"When I get there."

* * *

"What do you think?" Bobby asked Rogue as they entered the large lobby that had been decorated intensely. Red and silver streamers hung from every possible rafter, and in the center of the room was an enormous ice sculpture of a large "X".

"So that's what you were busy doing all day?" She asked, holding onto his hand with her gloved fingers.

"What can I say? I like being of use." He smiled and kissed her, his chest brushing against the white rose corsage he'd bought. They'd had a few cute arguments about what colors to wear, Bobby of course wanting to keep on wearing the blue he'd become accustomed to, due to his power. Rogue, of course, wanted to wear green. But Bobby'd fought her endlessly on it – "Green is the color of infection and disease and _gan_green and… swamp gas." He'd won. He and Rogue wore a darker version of baby blue. Rogue's dress, his vest and tie. "You look gorgeous," he said, as a piece of tinsel fell from the ceiling and landed in her hair. He moved in to kiss her, but she stopped him as a slow song came on.

"Let's dance."

* * *

An hour or two later, John stood outside the mansion with Mystique, rolling his eyes. He'd managed to find a picture of an unrecognizable model from a teen magazine that Mystique could pretend to be. She was pretty, but not remarkable, and John just felt like a dork.

"This is so lame."

"Let's just go. We can split up once we're inside, alright?"

"Fine." He said, and walked briskly towards the doors, feeling oddly invincible. He let the doors shut behind him, not holding them for her.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath.

John beheld the dance. It was just like everything he'd expected from years of watching crappy non-mutant teen films. In his heart, he felt silently happy that he was finally getting to go to one. He'd burnt his house down and ran away two weeks before his eighth grade formal. He'd never been to a dance and had always held them in high resentment. Then he saw her, twirling like a princess under Bobby's outstretched hand. Her long dark hair spun like a perfect veil. She was beautiful.

He looked behind him for Mystique, but she was already gone.

Pyro reflected, smiling, on the night he'd spent with Apex in Brooklyn after going to the club to find her two friends. He'd been invincibly, mentally impenetrable, and she'd _loved _it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an icy "X" in the middle of the lobby.

* * *

"Bobby!"

Someone yelling interrupted the fast paced jumping, side-stepping, really bad white boy dance Iceman had been attempting. Rogue tried to stop laughing.

"Yeah?" He asked jovially, smiling as Ororo looked practically frantic.

"The ice sculpture kind of, um… suddenly melted." She spat out in panic. Ororo had been appointed as Head of Aesthetics for the dance, and now she feared she was failing miserably.

"I'll be right back, okay, babe?" He said, and she nodded, smiling as the overplayed rap song continued. Suddenly, Rogue felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, well, well. Long time no see." She recognized the voice. The inflection and tone made her blood run cold. He'd left. He was gone. He'd left. He was –

"John."

He smiled suavely as she gasped, and tried to back up, but he managed to grab her hand.

"What are you doing here?"

"I left Mag's. That was a mistake, Rogue. I shouldn't have left with him at Alkali. I should have waited for you – the X-Men."

Rogue furrowed her eyes. She'd never been good at reading people. She hadn't known that Bobby was Mystique during her first few weeks at the academy, and she certainly hadn't gotten the inkling from Ronnie at Bobby's house that he would burst up the stairs and call the police. And now John stood in front of her, claiming he was good again.

"Bullshit. I'm going to go get Bobby."

"Wait!" He grabbed her hand again.  
"Let go of me, John. Don't think I won't scream." He said nothing, but held tightly onto her elbow, placing his fingers on the edge of her thick gloves. "Let go of me." She spat again, but John simply just slid off the glove and gripped her hand. She inhaled deeply, and felt nothing. Her eyes raced back and forth between their clasped hands and John's smirk. Her eyes began to well up.

"You still want to scream?" She shook her head in disbelief at the situation. "Let's take a walk."

* * *

The dance was winding down as Bobby finally managed to freeze the melted water into a tiny, manageable ball. He handed it off to Storm and turned back around, his heart thumping in quite anticipation as he looked for his girlfriend.

She wasn't there. He hadn't been gone long… thirty minutes at the most. He managed to locate Jubilee, but she shook her head, not knowing where Rogue was. He looked for her for ten more minutes before giving up. She wasn't in his room or her room or any place else he looked, and his heart sank in defeat. Tonight was supposed to be theirs. She was gone. He angrily tore off the tie, and headed towards his bedroom to sleep alone.


	7. Walking After Midnight

CHAPTER SEVEN: WALKING AFTER MIDNIGHT

"Hey," she heard him whisper into the dark, and Iceman caught a glimpse of his girlfriend asleep in bed. "Marie, are you awake?"

Her breath caught in her throat. "No."

"We need to talk." She could hear his feet shuffling across the carpet in her room as she curled even tighter into her fetal position. He would know. No matter how many times she'd showered or tried to convince herself it hadn't happened, Bobby would know.

"I really don't feel good, Bobby, can this wait?"

"You weren't in classes today. I'm worried about you." She held back the lump that built in her throat as she heard the sympathy in his voice. "Jubilee told me you came home Sunday morning all upset. What - what happened, Marie?"

"I got sick and went to the supermarket to get some cold medicine. Then I passed out in the bathrooms there," she lied. Sometimes her own bullshit amazed her.

"You should have told me." She could feel the blisters on her neck burning as a tear rolled down her chin.

"I still don't feel really well, Bobby… can we talk later?" She managed to spit out between the paced breaths that she took to control her tears.

"Sure," he said, and kissed the thin blanket between them that guarded Rogue's secret.

* * *

"This is actually really good," Pyro mumbled as he ate the cake Shane had made. "And I don't usually like sweets."

"It's from a box - no real skill required," she replied, once again rearranging the placemats on Magneto's dining room table. She hated to have to ask, but she couldn't keep her mind off of it. "Pyro… did you- never mind."

"You wanna talk about Rogue, don't you?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's not like I'm jealous. We're open and that's totally cool, but I still need to know." Pyro smiled contentedly as he ate another piece of cake. He set down the fork, and held out his bare hand before her. She took it, and began to concentrate. Pyro had to hold on and not overreact as she looked in his head, in that special part of his past. He could feel the deep, tingling hot sensation running through his veins, everywhere.

"Oh….aw, god."

"Relax," she whispered, and suddenly saw it all.

_"Tell me how you can do that," Rogue commanded as she and Pyro walked down the dark, isolated heavily wooded road near the mansion._

_"Do what?" He asked, continually and nervously clicking his lighter lid._

_"Don't play dumb, John… touch me." She replied, and he spun around, taking her head into his hands. Marie shut her eyes as she tried to absorb and revel in this moment. She wanted to feel the indentations in his fingerprints. No one had touched her for a long period of time without consequence until the dance for nearly two years. Now St. John Allerdyce cascaded his hands down her neck towards her chest, and the tiny hairs stood on her nape._

_"You want to know how I can touch you…" He asked, looking at Rogue's closed, trusting eyes as only the light from the moon and a nearby oddly placed yellowing streetlight lit her face. "I can because I can. That's all you need to know. I could do whatever I want to you," he purred into her ear. He hadn't attempted to seduce anyone in quite a while. Apex had been an easy conquering._

_"Can you kiss me?" She asked meekly, knowing that even having thought of it was wrong. Bobby was waiting for her as Pyro pressed his face to hers, devouring her kiss feverishly. His hands ran over her figure, not leaving any inch pure, innocent, or untouched. Rogue felt the area behind her eyes becoming hot, as well as other portions of her previously off-limits body. She tried to pretend he was Bobby. That Iceman's hands were encircling her breast, removing her dress, pulling her hair. She tried to imagine his light blue eyes studying her nude form under the cover of trees far from the school. But she couldn't tune out Pyro's voice._

_"You can touch me, too," he prompted, and Rogue opened her eyes to see his dark, longish hair sparsely lit through the trees. Her hands shook as she ran them over his face, bringing it closer to her lips, and she kissed every inch of his familiar face. His tongue ran over her tears. Her fingers would not stop quaking as she unclipped the suspenders that were holding his tuxedo together and he reached behind his head, slowly gathering up the white dress shirt and tearing it over his head as he kissed her again, pushing her naked back against a thick oak._

_"John…" she began to protest, but was muffled by his kisses as his entire body leaned into hers, and she was well aware of his hands furiously attacking his belt. She exhaled as a slight pain consumed the area between her legs and she felt a shift in John's posture. A slow smile crept across his victorious face. He didn't move, but leaned into her face, and kissed her collarbone, chuckling to himself._

_"And here I thought I'd gotten to you before Bobby," he thrusted and drank in the sound of Rogue wincing. "Guess I can't be the first at everything."_

* * *

Rogue stood in the doorway of Bobby's room, watching him sleep. She couldn't take the lie anymore, knowing what she'd done and what John had done to her. She'd blown off Bobby on what was supposed to be _their_ night. The first time she'd ever had sex… was with the minion of a man who'd tried to kill her, not the boy she was in love with. He'd overtaken her body, but not her heart. She was crying.

"Bobby?" She whimpered in the darkness of his room. He stirred, and wiped his eyes as he beheld her.

"Mmph… hey Marie." He whispered, and looked at the clock near his bed. "What's up? It's like… two a.m."

"I couldn't sleep."

"Come here," he replied and patted the corner of his bed. She sat, and wiped her eyes.

"What - What's wrong?"

"I lied to you, Bobby."

"About what?"

"What happened and -" he voice cracked and Bobby was suddenly very aware of the fact that his girlfriend was crying, even in the dark "- and where I was on Saturday night."

He sat up, and turned on the light, and Rogue flinched.

"Baby, baby, relax…. What's wrong?" He said, taking her head, now wet and puffy and pink with tears, into his hands.

"I can't let you see me like this," she sobbed, and he ducked his head down to look into her eyes.

"Tell me," he said, feeling a stinging concern starting in his stomach.

"I left the dance with John." She confessed, and looked up towards Bobby, waiting for his reaction.

"John? Like, Pyro?" He asked calmly. She nodded, and wiped her eyes. "How'd he get into the dance?"

"I don't know," she cried.

"Well, is that it? I mean, what happened?" He asked, and Rogue's tears finally broke free. She sobbed into his bed sheets. "Did you…," he furrowed his eyebrows. "Did you have sex with him?" He asked, and stared her down as she nodded weakly. He stood up quickly and glared. The thoughts and images ran rampant through his head.

"Where?"

"What?"

"Where did you have sex with him?"

"In the woods behind the school."

"Where did he touch you?"

"Bobby, why are you doing this?"

"Because I have to know!"

"Everywhere!" She yelled, and got up quickly off of the bed, walking towards Bobby, where he looked fiercely at her. She attempted to embrace him.

"Bobby, I'm sorry, okay? The whole time I was pretending it was you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better!" He barked, and shoved her away from his arms.

"Did you touch him?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Can we just get past it!" She screamed.

"You treat it like you just…. knocked over a glass of water, but it's not that simple. Right now," he spat through clenched teeth as he balled his fists until his knuckles were white "You disgust me. There's nowhere on you he hasn't touched or been or…" he sighed in repulsion.

"Please don't quit on me."

"I want to know what happened."

"If we keep talking about it, it won't go away!" Bobby grabbed her arms tightly. "Ow!"

"Tell me… everything. I have to know everything."

"No,"

"Tell me, goddamnit!"

"We did it up against a tree."

"And then what?"

"Bobby- then he fingered me and I blew him."

"Oh god!" He said, and tossed her away from him. Her back, now moist and damp with sweat from her fear of Bobby's anger hit the cold walls of the room he'd shared with John. "That night was supposed to be ours, Marie! I love you! I loved you! I can't believe you did this. I can never…. ever look at you the same."

"Bobby, please..."

"You are… a whore, okay?"

"It meant nothing!"

"You fucked John up against a tree and say it meant nothing!"

"Can this conversation please be over?"

"How'd he do it?"

"He said that his girlfriend took him to a bar and introduced him to a girl called the Cloud. She can… transfer powers from one mutant to another. All the needed to do then was find someone who was immune to other mutant's powers. So they did, and he could touch me." She said, and met his eyes for the first time since she'd confessed. His eyes were dark and red from holding back tears. "Can this conversation please be over?"

"Fine," he spat. "Get out."

"Bobby…"

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" He yelled, and whipped her around, his hand on her wrist. He tore open the door and pushed her out, surprised to see Cyclops and a few of the students standing about in the hall.

"I hope you enjoyed it because I'll never touch you again."

SLAM.


	8. The Slam Heard 'Round the World

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE SLAM HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD

Scott managed to catch Rogue as she spun from Bobby's room into his chest where she seemed to collapse into a pile of flesh and tears.

"He hates me, he hates me," was all she could mutter, and Scott called for Ororo. The crowd of students around them was beginning to swell.

"Everybody go back to your rooms!" He barked, and only a few people made movements towards their respective dorms. "I mean it - it's past your curfews and you'll all be punished!" Everyone slowly began to move.

"Scott, what happened?" Storm asked, bending down to look at Rogue.

"Big drama, get her back to her room," he commanded and waited, patiently until Rogue was out of earshot. He knocked. "Bobby, conference time. Now." Nothing. He knocked again, harder. "Bobby, open the door!"

He stood back, and ran towards the door, ramming his shoulder harshly into the woodframe. It budged, but a few iced-over crystals fell from the frame. Bobby had frozen himself in.

* * *

"We should take down the door, Professor. Bobby and Rogue were two very promising mutants. This discord isn't necessarily something good."

"Miss Munroe, you know how I feel about that. I allowed the older students to put locks on their door because I want them to feel independent. They are not helpless children to be patronized."

"We need to find out what happened. What if something horrible happened? He could be lying dead in his room!"

"You think I would be unaware of that?" The Professor asked, smirking cheekily.

"I think this is all a crock of shit," Logan bellowed, brooding from his corner of the room. The Professor furrowed his brow in good-natured irritation.

"Logan, we've spoken about your language." He shrugged.

"Ororo, take Logan and get his lock opened. Bobby does at least need to be held accountable for his actions,"

"No need," Scott said, entering the room, seeming incredibly tired. "I just blew open his door. He's gone."


	9. Drowning

**CHAPTER NINE: DROWNING**

Bobby had never drank before. He'd always been a goody two-shoes and even drank water rather than champagne at his aunt's wedding. He didn't know where to go or what to do and hadn't even thought about taking his things from Xavier's. He just left. All he had were the clothes on his back and fifteen dollars in his pocket.

The flashing lights of a nearby bar signaled to him. True, he was only eighteen, but he didn't care. There was no bouncer, and Bobby entered. The smoke rose to the ceiling, wafting around him as he coughed. He knew he reeked of inexperience and virginity. A few of the women drinking in the bar looked at him, then spoke together and laughed. One of the guys playing pool made a blowjob gesture to his friend and they laughed.

If you'd've asked him three days ago if he ever saw himself here, he would have said no. He, believe it or not, saw him and Rogue perhaps finding a cure for her condition and getting married and having kids one day. He was so naïve and stupid. Who would want him? Who would want an eighteen year old virgin whose body temperature was always three or four degrees below normal and he couldn't even have an orgasm without freezing everything within ten feet? He was useless.

He sat down at the bar and nervously began drawing symbols in the dust that covered the bar. He didn't know what to do. Maybe he could go back to his parents and renounce his mutant ways.

"Hey gorgeous," a slow voice next to him said. He looked to his right and saw a rather older woman, perhaps in her late twenties, early thirties. Her obviously brunette hair had been dyed blonde and was pulled back much too tightly. Her lipstick was also on quite thick. He said nothing, but nervously looked around for an exit or the men's room. She bought him a drink, and he downed it, the harsh bitterness sliding down his throat as it burned his chest. And she bought him another and another, and it wasn't long before her hand slid slowly down the inseam of his jeans and grabbed mercilessly on his crotch.

"Um-" he began as she sucked on his earlobe.

"Hey Shane!" The bartender barked, and Bobby jerked his head up to behold a girl entering through the doors. She was beautiful, and smiled brightly at the bartender, revealing a flawless set of white teeth. Then someone else entered behind her as she gave the bartender a tight hug.

Bobby felt the bile beginning to rise up in his veins as John entered, smiling. Iceman shoved the horny false blonde away. Bobby wanted to smash his head in with an ax. Oh well, an iceball would have to do.

"Holy shit!" The girl called Shane yelled as Bobby threw an enlarged hunk of ice towards John and he ducked, quickly, and the iceball smashed the glass door behind him.

"Drake!" He yelled, and was suddenly accosted by another iceball that collided with his chest, tossing him back against the wall.

"Don't you say my name, asshole!" Shane suddenly dove over the bar, and grabbed a bottle of bourbon and smashed it on the counter, lighting it on fire. The bar went crazy as John summoned fire from the counter and tossed it towards Bobby, who froze the fire and sent it towards the ground with a shattering sound. He then abandoned his mutiny, and drove for John, proceeding to punch him as John grabbed some more flame from the bar, but before he could use it, a hand braced his neck.

"We don't tolerate your kind, here," an overweight man in all black bellowed and tossed them out into the street.

"You son of a bitch!" The Phillipino girl yelled, slapping Bobby. "That was my favorite place!"

"Shut up, Shane," John said, wiping blood off his lip and standing quite close to Iceman. "What do you want, Drake? Want me to back off your girl?"

"You shut the fuck up!" Bobby yelled, and pushed him away.

"We need to leave, they're gonna call the cops!"

"What did he tell you!" Iceman yelled at her and she suddenly punched him. "Bitch!" John punched him. and Bobby collapsed, laughing and choking on his own blood. "You know… your boyfriend cheated on you," he chuckled.

"I know," she said, and sat down, looking into Bobby's eyes. "Shit, John, he is _drunk."_

"Naw duh. Let's bolt."

"We can't just leave him here!"

"Uh, yes we can."

"He's coming with us."

"He threw a fucking iceball at my head!"

"I am asking you - pretty soon I will _tell_ you. This is your one opportunity to continue looking at this as if it were your choice."

"Are you kidding me!" He yelled as Shane walked over to Bobby, who suddenly threw up on the sidewalk. Blood from John's right-hook was mixed with the vomit on the concrete.

"Oh, lord… call Magneto."

Bobby awoke with a throbbing headache the next day, completely unaware of what had transpired the night before. He was in an unfamiliar room that looked a lot like an undecorated hotel room. He looked around, and slid on a pair of folded sweatpants.

"Professor?" He asked, hoping he had someway wandered back to the school. He felt bad for his fight with Rogue, but still felt validated. Slut.

He exited his room to see a beautiful girl walking down the hair, her hair up in several clips. "Hey!" He barked, and she turned around, appearing somewhat shocked.

"You're awake."

"Naw," he said sarcastically. "Where am I?" He interrogated. Her face suddenly scowled as she turned to open a door. She said nothing, but he followed her into the room which was covered by painted flames and scorched into the bedpost were sparks and such. Bobby looked around and stopped dead when he saw St. John Allerdyce exiting the bathroom.

"Hey Drake. Can't say it's good to see you, but since you betrayed everyone, guess you're stuck here." Shane smiled.

"We can smell our own kind."


	10. Shane's Spiderweb

**CHAPTER TEN: SHANE'S SPIDERWEB**

Bobby stared up at the ceiling in his room – his room at Magneto's mansion. It was an odd feeling, but he couldn't go back to Xavier's. He couldn't face her, and all of the teachers and students who had been present at the fight. Most of all at this moment, he couldn't bear to face Pyro, who had taken something so special from him.

He heard a knock at the door and rolled over, expecting to face Magneto. He didn't quite know how to react to the man who had thrice attempted to kill his girlfriend – indirectly, but instead he came face to face with the girl.

"Hey," she said softly stepping into the room. He nodded an ambivalent greeting. "I'm Shane." She held out a soft, dark hand and he shook it, freezing it slightly. She smiled. "Well, that's different."

"Than what?"

"Well, I date Pyro. Use your imagination."

Bobby nodded again, and stood up. "What do you all want with me?"

"Excuse me?" She asked, taken aback.

"Why am I here?" He barked, crossing his arms after thumbing his nose. She stood up to face him and was decidedly much shorter.

"I have no agenda, believe it or not. I'm here because I have nowhere else to go, and correct me if I'm wrong but you seem to be in the same predicament. You were shitfaced and we could have left your drunk mutant ass in the street for the cops, but I asked Pyro to bring you here. You can leave anytime you want." Her eyes were growing, almost entirely black now.

He stared her down for a few seconds. "Fine," he spat and grabbed his jacket and walked briskly to the door of his room, but stopped suddenly when Shane grasped his hand. A feeling shot through his arm and pulled at his stomach and groin from the inside out. He felt as if his eyes were rolling in the back of his head and his heart sped up as he spun around and gripped her face, kissing her harshly. She gasped in surprise and let go of his hand as he continued kissing her, but only for a few seconds. Bobby pulled his face from Shane's quickly.

"Oh God, I am so sorry," she ejected, smoothing out her hair.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I have to go."

She seemed to speed down the hallway towards her room as Bobby stood breathless in his doorway. He looked down at his own arousal, quite confused.

---

A few minutes later, Bobby stepped out of a very cold shower – save a few ice crystals on his back, he was stark naked from head to toe. That's when he yelped, and quickly grabbed a towel from near him and wrapped it around himself.

"Always so modest," Pyro chuckled, splashing some water on his face.

"What the hell are you doing in here, man?"

"I feel I should be asking you the same question. My girl makes me call my fucking warden to drag your drunk ass here and–"

"Spare me the guilt trip, alright?"

"Yeah, Shane told me about that." Iceman raised his eyebrows. "She was kind of upset." Pyro stepped closer to him. "I don't know what you did, but if I see her upset again because of you," he popped his gum for a second, pointing arrogantly at Bobby. "I will break you."

"What now, John, are you gonna tell me to stay away from your girl?" Pyro didn't reply, and simply walked away, smirking.

---

Marie looked up as a knock emanated through her room. Ororo stood in her doorway, her sad sympathetic eyes leering.

"What do you want?"

"You haven't been eating. The staff and I are worried about you, Rogue. So are the students. Do you – want to talk about it?"

"About what? I couldn't touch my boyfriend or do anything else and then I screw up and he just leaves. He wouldn't even listen."

"Rogue, how did you screw up?"

"No one knows what it's like. I can't even brush someone's cheek."

"What happened, Marie?"

"I don't want to talk about it. Get out."

"Marie?"

"GET THE FUCK OUT!" She barked, and Storm left quickly.

---

"We're losing her," she stated calmly to the X-Men, gathered in Xavier's office.

"What do you mean?"

"We have to get Bobby back. She loved him, Logan. We all loved Jean and she left. It hurt Rogue too, but now Rogue's lost Bobby – this is going to hurt her even worse, and we might lose her."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Logan barked from the corner of the room. "She's not gonna kill herself over some stupid boy. She's better than that."

"A death doesn't always have to be physical." The Professor stated, and the group resounded in unexpressed agreement.

---

Shane rolled over in her bed, and half-smiled when she saw Pyro leaning against her wall, bopping a tiny flame from each finger to the next.

"You don't have to take care of me."

"I know." He sat down on the edge of her bed. "It's rare that I care about anything, but I just wanted to check up on you. You seemed pretty tore up earlier. I gave Iceboy a talkin'-to."

"You shouldn't have done that. It was my fault."

"What was?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just.. Nevermind, we agreed no pasts, right?"

"Do you have a past with Iceman?"

"Oh, God, no." She giggled.

"Mmm," he seemed to growl. "That's a sound I like." He nuzzled up to her neck, running his tongue along her soft skin.

"Pyro, baby – no, okay? I'm not in a sexual place right now."

"What?"

"I'm just not that into it right now."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Don't become this boy, alright?" She stared him down, and he nodded.

"It's cool, honey. I mean, I got hands for a reason." He said, and slinked out of the room, a little pissed off.


End file.
